The Last Letter from your Lover- Jojo Moyes :BerryReads

Hello!

"It was a hard book to get into, but about 1/2 way in, it grabbed me."

It's that time again, about a month on from writing about one of the best books I've read this year, it's time to review The Last Letter from your Lover. This one, a completely different genre to the one we last talked about here, cannot even compare to Cuckoo's Calling. It's good, but not as great, and considering she's the author of Me Before You, I was disappointed... until I read the ending. 

"the book has a deeper meaning... (which) seeps in when you grasp what is going on"

There's the woman, Jennifer, who every girl was jealous of - after her accident she lost her memory and had to just believe she was what others tell her. Later did she realise she was leading a double life, although she was married, she was with a 'secret' man who actually made her feel happy. She was part of  society when divorce was frowned upon, when womans' opinions should not be expressed, nor should they have a say in politics. Jennifer had thought she was being 'out of order' by doing what made her happy and in her eyes, most importantly: 'what would people say?'. This really does show how society has changed. How lucky we are, as woman, to have the same rights as men in the world we live in today.

The dilemma: after Jennifer realised she would not never be as happy with her husband as she did with her lover, but will she do whats right for her, or what's right for woman in 60's society?

"I was disappointed... until I read the ending."

As I mentioned before, the ending was great. Don't get me wrong, I did not skip a few pages to read the ending, I read it cover to cover, but the beginning was a bit of a let down. It was unstructured, jumping from one decade to the next, one scenario to another without much of a clue to what's going on. It was a hard book to get into, but about 1/2 way in, it grabbed me. The story line is like a typical romantic book - it's got the protagonist, the problem they face and the love life they're not happy with. The interesting thing about this, which you realise mid-book, is that there's another girl, decades later, who can relate to all of this. I feel the book has a deeper meaning, the idea that 'you are not alone' seeps in when you grasp what is going on.

Overall, a good book - if only the beginning drew me in quicker!
Are you a fan of romantic stories? Or do you feel they always have the same storyline?

The Cuckoo's Calling - J.K. Rowling under 'Robert Galbraith'

Hello!

"notice Strike's mind work in a million different ways, looking  at the faintest clues which (we) would disregard and think useless"

 You know those times when you're really into reading and read a million books in around 2 weeks? Well, I haven't had a time like that in a while, yet I did manage to finish reading this book in 3 weeks - I was up 3 hours past my 'bedtime' finishing it off last Tuesday, so you already know the ending is intriguing and a complete I-don't-want-to-put-this-down moment.

"I could see this story becoming a movie, and I hope one day, it does!"

The story is a murder mystery of a supermodel whom allegedly jumped off the balcony of her London apartment.  Former soldier, Oxford University student and now homeless private detective, Cormoran Strike (you better believe I had to sound out his first name every time it came up), has been asked to look into it further by no other that the supermodels brother.

Throughout the novel, you notice Strike's mind work in a million different ways, looking at the faintest clues which someone like me would generally disregard and think as useless. As a reader, you're curious to note why certain clues are so important to the detective, but worry not, it is amazing to see how it is all bought together in the final conclusion.

"a complete I-don't-want-to-put-this-down moment"

This is a novel which is read with a good flow, with the storyline vividly playing in your head like a movie, who needs the cinema, hey?! But seriously, I could see this story becoming a movie, and I hope one day, it does! It is fun to read and really grips you, although the ending creeped me out a little with the amount of detail J.K. Rowling (or should I say Robert Galbraith) went into, and the harsh 'reality' of the story.

Overall a good read! Definitely recommend it to you.
Are you a crime/mystery book fan or prefer another, less gory, genre?

BerryReads: LA Candy - Review

Hello!

"basically reality TV in the form of a book - drama  with no depth."

Although it was only the other day the Autumn Reading Wish List was released, the last novel read still deserves a feature on BBXO! L.A. Candy, the first of many novels written by the lovely Lauren Conrad, was the pick of the week and here's the summary:

Lets start with the end, it was unexpected. I was literally confused as to whether or not there were pages missing at the end. You are left with not exactly knowing what happens, and oddly wanting more. I say 'oddly' as you just want a proper ending! Definitely a book considered as ending on a cliffhanger.

The storyline was loosely based on the authors' career as a reality show star, which is also a similar storyline to her other novel, previously reviewed on BBXO, called 'The Fame Game'. It was definitely a light read, with obvious things-that-only-happen-in-movies moments throughout the entire book. I would also say this was basically reality TV in the form of a book - drama  with no depth.

Being it Lauren Conrad's first novel, she did an amazing job. If you're one looking for a light read, feeling a bit like you're reading a magazine at times and others when you really do empathise with the characters - this one is for you!

What do you think of TV show stars turned authors? 

BerryReads: Book Wishlist #2

Hello!

Happy Monday! Considering the last few posts on Monday's have been either Mani Monday's or Motivational Mondays - which I love doing both of them by the way - maybe it was time to switch it up a bit. Considering the enthusiasm I have for books right now, it was the perfect time for a Wishlist post! Having done one of these before and only reading one of the three I had then been interested in, lets hope its more successful this time!

Gone Girl
You probably have heard of this book before! I definitely have but it had never caught my eye... until I read the blurb earlier today: 
' Who are you? What have we done to each other? These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife? '

Tell me you're not intrigued! No wonder it's a bestseller - it's quite bad how I just judged the book by it's (almost) bland cover. Yet, I cannot wait to give this book a try!

The Bookstore & Penelope
These two books are about girls who go to University - both in America in this case. These two were mentioned in 'Stylish' Magazine and the blurbs again caught my eye. These are not as well known as 'Gone Girl' but definitely seem interesting - more of a light read, if you may. I don't like to read too many "intense" books at a time, so maybe these will be nice breathers! (Is that really weird, or do you do the same? :P)

Insurgent
Having had a debate on whether Divergent is better than The Hunger Games on Friday, many of you said to read the books too! I didn't get around to finish reading Divergent, not sure whether it was because I wasn't 'in to' reading at the time or because I didn't like the book - but I loved the movie. Therefore, I'm going to give this a shot!

Have you read any of these books, and what's on your "wish list"? 

*picture from here, here, here

BerryReads: The Fault In Our Stars

Hello!

Well, you're probably quite annoyed at how much TFIOS has been hyped about (mentioned it about 4 times on BBXO alone!) - but one more post won't hurt you, right?! On the other hand, you may love TFIOS and don't mind reading another post! Either way, lets read on! :D

I actually finished reading the book and have got to say: It was quite moving! I love the story behind it but the ending I didn't love!! Throughout the whole story, Hazel, the protagonist, has a favourite book which ends abruptly without all the questions answered and I feel TFIOS kind of ends like that - though not as badly! Wait, does that mean there's going to be a sequel?! :O

Anyway, I liked how the book really made me realise how lucky I am - it shows the way a person with cancer feels, yet I love the idea behind it that they can still live a fantastic life, which I have always believed. Everyone deserves an amazing life and I love that the book portrays it.

If I am honest, considering how hyped up the book is, I don't feel it completely met my expectations and high hopes for it. Although it wasn't the best book I have ever read, it was a lovely one, with a great moral behind the story to live life the best you can everyday - which reminds me of a motivation monday post! I do recommend the book, yet just a warning to you that it has been overhyped! The movie is coming out this summer and I am excited to see how they have transformed it into a motion picture!

Have you read TFIOS? What do you think?

image source

BerryReads: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Hello!

Another week, another Friday and another Book Review! Before last week I could have easily said I haven't read a book in ages. You know the feeling: it's like you want to read but somehow can't find the time and excuses excuses.... Yet I thought it was time to jump back on the bandwagon as reading is a nice sense of escapism and puts our imagination to good use. At the right time and the right place, this book stepped into my life, due to spontaneously downloadng the book after reading a book review (here) - and am I glad I did!

Losing it is about a girl in college in Texas experiencing the joys of college life, but there one thing she hasn't done.

Blurb: Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier. 

So I guess it seems like quite a typical story line, think PLL Ezria - but it's not all about that it may seem. The book is packed with humour, awkwardness and friendship. What I liked about it is that it is not all perfection on the girls behalf, it's more realistic. I like the way you can clearly imagine everything, from the location of the apartments to the actions of her best friends. The book is very well written and the storyline is fun!

If you're looking for a rom com, chick flick kind of book - this is for you. It's filled with humour, girl problems and all the components of a chick flick! 

Having read this in about a week, when I normally take about 3, it's definitely a book you will not want to put down.

I am literally on the last 20 pages of the book and have loved every moment of it so far, hence why I'll be reading the other books in the series!

Have you read any RomComs books that you recommend? 

BerryReads: Wishlist

Hello! 

Reading is something I have not done in a while. Having redone my room, there are now a few more areas whereby I can relax and… well sit and read! Don't you just love having little areas to chill in?! Well, obviously that calls for more reading, right? Isn't that justice enough?! :)

Well, since a very young age I've been a reader yet I haven't read in a while. You may be like me: one that loves story lines such as those in movies, tv shows and even music videos! Well, books are like little movies in your head and you can direct them however you wish!

You may notice a slight theme in this BerryReads today: Movies. Well, not all of the books but 2 of the 3 are (soon to be) movies!

Wolf of Wall Street is currently a movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio - it's about a guy who makes thousands of dollars per minute yet 'rinses' (spends) it all during the night on things such as drugs, alcohol and bad, bad stuff! I like that it's a different storyline based around greed and power. It intrigues me, and the fact that it's based in New York makes it even more interesting!
(GoodReads Rating: 3.6/5)

Cancer patients are being increasing by the minute in our day to day lives, The Fault In Our Stars is a love story about a cancer patient. You probably have heard of it, if not read it already! The first time  watching the trailer for TFIOS reminded me a bit of The Sisters Keeper in terms of the cancer idea - yet it still seems a must read before watching the movie!
(GR: 4.5/5)

GoodReads is a great place to find ratings of books and lists to choose books from. Looking at the 'Popular' list of what others are really enjoying, I came across Shatter Me. It is about a girl who has the power to kill someone at the touch of her fingertips. Sounds pretty gruesome, right? Actually, thats the part that repels me from the book! However, she wants to use her powers for good not evil (Frozen, anyone?) and it makes me wonder how she deals with it! Though, if it's too gruesome I won't continue reading it!
(GR: 4.09/5)

That's it, nothing too girly this time but quite a few to get my hands on!
What book is on your Reading Wishlist?

source: GoodReads, Image

BerryReads: Restoring Grace

Hello!

I've been reading like crazy recently, it's a good thing and a bad thing. The bad thing is that it means I tend to go to bed later than I would but the good thing is that it's very interesting and it really does make me feel happy!

When you read you get loads of inspiration and your imagination runs wild! It's good to feel your imagination stretching and expanding, do you feel the same way?

Anyway, so I picked this book out of a whim and cannot say that I would like to do that again anytime soon - and sometimes wish I knew what book I wanted before I picked it out, here's why:

Well, the book itself doesn't have a fixed storyline. There's no one thing that is focused on throughout the whole story. In one sense, I guess there is, as 3 girls become friends but the entire thing feels very loose and there're no fixed connections. All of it seems very unrealistic and I guess it's quite un-relatable.

I found myself constantly trying to find something that will make me feel relatable to the characters, so they can inspire and 'click' with my imagination but I guess that click never came.

The story is very slow paced. A lot of the things you know are going to happen but it takes far much longer than it should to get to the time when it actually does happen, and you're not surprised when it does because you were expecting it. If things took longer than it should have and something you did not expect to happen turns up then it would be worth the wait, but not in this case.

So many questions pop into your head when your reading a book, any book in this matter, however, in this particular book there are so many answers left untold. Again, in some cases this is good because it makes you think of it yourself, however, there just isn't enough information to do this - and then you're left disappointed because you're not satisfied.

On the contrary to all of this, I've left quite a few books hanging in my time, yet this wasn't one of them. This goes to show that the book is not so BORING that you don't want to pick it up. Yes, I agree that it's an okay storyline if the author expanded it and made it something bigger - this wasn't the case.

Overall, I recommend you do not read this, unless you're looking for a EXTREMELY light read with no surprises and very slow paced.
I give it a 4/10.

What book do you recommend I read next - one better than this, I hope?!

BerryReads: Remember Me? -Sophie Kinsella

Hello!

Being fellow bookworms, do you ever have those books/articles you read and you think to yourself "I will never be able to forget reading this!"?! Whether that be because you're head over heels for it or because it was absolutely horrendous, you're still never be able to forget it... well, for me, this was one of those books.

The book "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella was one of those books. Sophie Kinsella is a very popular author, you may have heard of "Confessions of a Shopaholic" - the famous movie - she wrote that book. Did you know that originally it was called "The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic" and there are many other books in the series including one about the shopaholics sister and another about the shopaholics baby! Anyway, when I picked up the book, I hadn't even noticed the authors name - I felt I recognised it but didn't pay much attention. It wasn't until I opened the front cover that I noticed!

The story is about a girl called Lexi who doesn't have the best life... she didn't get a bonus she was hoping for, her un-cool boyfriend stood her up and her father just died. Lexi got involved in an accident and seemed to wake up in hospital as a girl living what seemed like a perfect life: she has a hot husband, an expensive house, a convertible mercedes and (my favourite) a designer wardrobe! Lexi has lost her memory of the last 3 years of her life and wakes up to this! However, not everything is as perfect as it seems (gosh, that sounds so clique!).

I love the way the author has written the book, it is a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. Sophie seems to express Lexi's feelings in such a way that when she's happy, we the readers are happy, when she's sad, we're sad and when she's excited, so are we! Even though the st
ory line is not that relatable, I still shared emotions with Lexi. You can tell that Sophie truly put her heart and soul into this book as our hearts and souls get attached to it too!

I haven't read a book this good in ages, I read "About A Girl" before this one which you can read about here, but I preferred this one. I actually looked forward to dimming my lights, snuggling under the duvet and opening this book to a new world opening up inside my head. Reading 'Remember Me?' felt like I was actually daydreaming or watching a movie in my head - it all seemed so realistic.

Also, the way Sophie Kinsella made it so easy to understand and very personal as it was written as first person, you could easily slip into the mind of Lexi Smart - a funny, clever and pretty lady!

This was one book I will not be able to forget, maybe I'll read the Confessions of a Shopaholic series soon - I think I picked it up once but got bored and didn't finish more than 2 chapters... or was that Legally Blonde? Not sure...
I do, however, want to read more of Sophie Kinsella's books - a list can be seen here.

What's your unforgettable book you recommend to read next? Leave a comment!

BerryReads: About a Girl, Lindsey Kelk

Hello!

How have you been? Enjoying the last of your summer and making the most of it? I hope you have, because I have! Last Tuesday I spent a couple of hours cleaning my room and then the rest of the afternoon sitting/laying out on the green grass in the hot, warming sun. Is it me or have you noticed that when the sun is shining everything just looks 10 times better? I mean, the grass is greener and it’s like the plants are smiling at you! That’s if you’ve watered them, of course – like the pink blooms in my bathroom!

Anyway, this book is one that I spent a while reading – not because it’s a bad book or boring in any way, but simply because I didn’t get time. On that Tuesday I was determined to complete the book – and I did it!

The book is called ‘About a Girl’ and has been released this year. It is about a girl – duh! – who, quite frankly, had no life. She was a workaholic and the life revolved around her job. Without her job, she was basically nothing. Oh, and guess what happens? She gets fired. Haha! Nice plot, hey?

So yes, this was the chance for her to change her ways and see the world from a different light. She was in her late twenties, I believe, had no love life and she was basically getting nowhere. She was expected a promotion when she went to her Human Resources staff at her work yet came out with no promotion – or job, for that matter! So, when things got out of hand, she got a little ‘crazy’! She went all out on a trip to Hawaii and found herself.

I loved this book. It’s full of love, laughter and happy endings! All of my favourite things! I have to admit, though, it is a very adult book. Some things mentioned are not exactly young-age appropriate and would definitely be more appealing to those in their late teens/twenties or older. I did like it because the character seemed so realistic. She didn’t seem ‘plastic’ and unreal, yet she seemed like someone you may be yourself. I mean, I saw some of her personality in me.

It’s a lovely book for some sort of a light read too – it’s not very serious yet it’s not boring and way out there either. A true Romantic Comedy, if you ask me.

Lindsey Kelk is also the author of the ‘I Heart…’ series, which is hugely raved about. When I saw ‘Lindsey Kelk’ on the shelf, I had to pick it up! I even took it to the beach – it was a beach bag essential – and enjoyed being on my beach towel and reading this in peace, especially because a lot of it was located in Hawaii – the ultimate beach location!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would love to read more of Lindsey Kelks books – maybe try the ‘I Heart’ series?

This one is a 6/10 for me!

Have you read any Lindsey Kelk books? Would you recommend them?

BerryReads: Lauren Conrad Edition

Hello!

Hope you're well and rested, if you're not, maybe you should read. You may be thinking "Okay, what?"- well, I find that when I read before bed it puts me in a relaxed mood and I sleep better. That brings me onto why I really wanted to write this post about what I've been reading!

You may, or may not, know this about me but I LOVE reading. I always have been a reader from such a young age. I actually had a disney princess book with an attached mini projector which had pictures related to the stories in the book - it was pretty awesome: Disney Princesses, a pink projector with pictures AND reading: Heaven. So, since a young age I have been interested in reading, and although the genres I liked have changed over the years, the fact that I am obsessed with reading has not. I used to love reading mystery when I was about 11 years old and then once I hit the age of 13 I really liked girly, romantic books and haven't really changed since.

Image from HERE

Keeping with the girly theme, I love Lauren Conrad. Lauren Conrad is like my idol to me. I read her blog, look up to her for inspiration and if anybody asks who my celebrity role model is, I can say it's her - without a second thought. The thing with Lauren is that I can relate to her loads. She's girly, smart, creative and loves being healthy yet still indulges once in a while - like what I see myself as... basically, I want to be her! When I found she has written books I obviously had to put my 2 loves together and read it. I haven't read all of her books but recently picked up 'The Fame Game' to read during the summer and I really liked it.

The Fame Game is about these 4 girls who are in a reality show. It reveals the truth about reality TV and what it is like to be part of Hollywood - moreover, what it's like to try and climb the ladders of Hollywood, and the competitiveness to reach the top is revealed. What I really enjoyed about this book is that it really brings back the idea that all these celebrities are indeed Real People. They're just like you and me. They have their own families to do with, all coming from different backgrounds. They have their own troubles, fears and anxiety. They also have to work hard to get what they get, it doesn't just come to them, even if you're born in a famous family.
I did enjoy reading this book. I suggest you read it if you're looking for a light read with the story based in LA.

You may know that I am Obsessed with LA (mentioned in this post) and would love to live there one day, so reading this book just satisfied my dreams for the time being! haha! Following from reading 'The Fame Game' I bought the Lauren Conrad book 'Beauty'. It was either 'Beauty' or 'Style' - quite frankly I picked up 'Beauty' because it is newer and has better reviews, probably because LC was more experienced by the time she wrote 'Beauty' compared to when she was writing 'Style'. Actually, the main reason I bought it was because I was looking for a Coffee Table style book for my study to make it look nice! I haven't gotten round to reading it yet but am eager to do so!

Currently I am reading 'About a girl' by Lindsey Kelk and might write about it when I'm done! Maybe have a BerryBooks/BerryReads bookclub sort of thing where we can talk books!

What are you currently reading?

Keep blooming, berries!
xoxo,
BerryBloomXO